Boston in Suffolk County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

Family Memorials

By Bill Coughlin, April 14, 2009

1. Family Memorials Marker

Inscription.

Family Memorials. . Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston in 1707, son of Josiah Franklin (1657-1745), tallow chandler, and his second wife, Abiah (Folger) (1667-1752). After his parentís deaths, Franklin created a modest memorial to them with an inscription which said:

Josiah Franklin . and . Abiah his wife . lie here interred . They lived lovingly together in wedlock . fifty-five years . and without an estate or any gainful employment . by constant labor and honest industry . maintained a large family comfortably . and brought up thirteen children and seven . grandchildren reputably. . From this instance reader, . be encouraged to diligence in thy calling . and distrust not providence. . He was a pious and prudent man; . she a discreet and virtuous woman. . Their youngest son, . in filial regard to their memory, places this stone.. . By the 1820s the inscription was so worn that in 1827 the City of Boston replaced the memorial with the current obelisk made of Quincy granite. . . Although Benjamin Franklin was recognized by his parents and teachers as being of extraordinary intelligence, he only had two years of formal schooling. He was taken out of school at the age of 10 to work in his fatherís business, making soap and candles. The work was hot, dirty, and backbreaking and young Franklin desired to take up another profession. At the age of 12 he was apprenticed to his older brother, James, a printer, who later published a local newspaper, the New England Courant. This trade was much more in line with his love of books and ideas and his first article was published anonymously in 1721. Benjamin Franklin left Boston in 1723 after a serious quarrel with his brother. . . Records of Women and Children . Many gravestones in the Granary Burial Ground are the only historical record of an ancient Bostonian, especially a woman or child. Infants often did not survive the first year of life in the harsh conditions of colonial Boston and numerous women died in childbirth. A small gravestone set in the ground to the right of the Franklin Obelisk memorializes Josiah Franklinís first wife, Anne (Child) Franklin (d. 1689), and three of her seven children. Mary (Hayfield) Cobham (ca. 1618-1688) is buried next to her daughter-in-law, Deborah (ca. 1642-1688), and her son, Moses Cobham (1645-1678). Other women outlived their husbands, remarried (often more than once), and took over their husbandís business. Hannah (Adams) Holbrook Dyer (ca. 1684-1760) survived both her first husband, Samuel Holbrook (1690-1721), cordwainer, and her second husband, Henry Dyer (1676-1742). After Henryís death she took his job as overseer of the almshouse next to the burying ground. . . Tories and Patriots . Richard Draper (1727-1774), grandson of Bartholomew Green and son of Deborah Draper (1706-1736), was the Tory printer of the Boston Newsletter. After his death in 1774, his wife Margaret continued to publish the paper until she left Boston with the British troops in March 1776. . . Captain Nicholas Gardner (1749-1782) fought in the American Revolution and was mortally wounded by the enemy at age 33. . . Gershom Flagg (1705-1771), housewright, moved to Harvard, Massachusetts, in the late 1760s and died in 1771. His family chose to bury him at Granary and erected an ornate gravestone with a carved urn. . . Elisha Brown (1720-1785) lived across the street from the burying ground in what was then the manufactory building. His epitaph describes his defiance of British troops 1769: . .

ELISHA BROWN . (of) Boston . who on Octr 1769, during 17 days, . inspired with a generous zeal for . the LAWS, . bravely and successfully . opposed a whole British Regt. . in the violent attempt to force him . from his (legal habitation) . Happy Citizen to be called singley . to be a Barrier to the Liberties . (of a Continent).

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston in 1707, son of Josiah Franklin (1657-1745), tallow chandler, and his second wife, Abiah (Folger) (1667-1752). After his parentís deaths, Franklin created a modest memorial to them with an inscription which said:

Josiah FranklinandAbiah his wifelie here interredThey lived lovingly together in wedlockfifty-five yearsand without an estate or any gainful employmentby constant labor and honest industrymaintained a large family comfortablyand brought up thirteen children and sevengrandchildren reputably.From this instance reader,be encouraged to diligence in thy callingand distrust not providence.He was a pious and prudent man;she a discreet and virtuous woman.Their youngest son,in filial regard to their memory, places this stone.

By the 1820s the inscription was so worn that in 1827 the City of Boston replaced the memorial with the current obelisk made of Quincy granite.

Although Benjamin Franklin was recognized by his parents and teachers as being of extraordinary intelligence, he only had two years of formal schooling. He was taken out of school at the age of 10 to work in his fatherís business, making soap and candles. The work was hot, dirty, and backbreaking and young Franklin desired to take

By Bill Coughlin, April 14, 2009

2. Marker in Granary Burying Ground

The Franklin Family Obelisk can be seen behind the marker.

up another profession. At the age of 12 he was apprenticed to his older brother, James, a printer, who later published a local newspaper, the New England Courant. This trade was much more in line with his love of books and ideas and his first article was published anonymously in 1721. Benjamin Franklin left Boston in 1723 after a serious quarrel with his brother.

Records of Women and ChildrenMany gravestones in the Granary Burial Ground are the only historical record of an ancient Bostonian, especially a woman or child. Infants often did not survive the first year of life in the harsh conditions of colonial Boston and numerous women died in childbirth. A small gravestone set in the ground to the right of the Franklin Obelisk memorializes Josiah Franklinís first wife, Anne (Child) Franklin (d. 1689), and three of her seven children. Mary (Hayfield) Cobham (ca. 1618-1688) is buried next to her daughter-in-law, Deborah (ca. 1642-1688), and her son, Moses Cobham (1645-1678). Other women outlived their husbands, remarried (often more than once), and took over their husbandís business. Hannah (Adams) Holbrook Dyer (ca. 1684-1760) survived both her first husband, Samuel Holbrook (1690-1721), cordwainer, and her second husband, Henry Dyer (1676-1742). After Henryís death she took his job as overseer of the almshouse

By Bill Coughlin, April 14, 2009

3. Franklin Family Obelisk

next to the burying ground.

Tories and PatriotsRichard Draper (1727-1774), grandson of Bartholomew Green and son of Deborah Draper (1706-1736), was the Tory printer of the Boston Newsletter. After his death in 1774, his wife Margaret continued to publish the paper until she left Boston with the British troops in March 1776.

Captain Nicholas Gardner (1749-1782) fought in the American Revolution and was mortally wounded by the enemy at age 33.

Gershom Flagg (1705-1771), housewright, moved to Harvard, Massachusetts, in the late 1760s and died in 1771. His family chose to bury him at Granary and erected an ornate gravestone with a carved urn.

Elisha Brown (1720-1785) lived across the street from the burying ground in what was then the manufactory building. His epitaph describes his defiance of British troops 1769:

ELISHA BROWN(of) Bostonwho on Octr 1769, during 17 days,inspired with a generous zeal forthe LAWS,bravely and successfullyopposed a whole British Regt.in the violent attempt to force himfrom his (legal habitation)Happy Citizen to be called singleyto be a Barrier to the Liberties(of a Continent)

Location. 42° 21.446′ N, 71° 3.695′ W. Marker is

By Bill Coughlin, April 14, 2009

4. Franklin Family Memorial Marker

The marker on the Franklin Family Obelisk contains the same text from the marker that Ben had put on the original memorial (see above for text). It also includes the following:

The original inscription having been nearly obliterateda number of citizenserected this monument as a mark of respectfor theillustrious author.MDCCCXXVII

in Boston, Massachusetts, in Suffolk County. Marker can be reached from Tremont Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is along the walking trail in Granary Burying Ground. . Marker is in this post office area: Boston MA 02108, United States of America.

More about this marker. The bottom left of the marker contains an etching of the Birthplace of Franklin. The center of the marker features a partial map of Granary Burying Ground with the location of the marker indicated.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Take a tour of the markers found along the walking trail in Bostonís Granary Burying Ground.

Also see . . .

By Bill Coughlin, April 14, 2009

5. Birthplace of Franklin

The site of Benjamin Franklin's birth is marked by this monument on 17 Milk Street, a few blocks from Granary Burying Ground.

Granary Burying Ground. Details of the Freedom Trail from the City of Boston website. (Submitted on May 9, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on May 9, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,228 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 9, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey.

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